In 1986, after the disastrous accident at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act. Under this act, many business facilities became subject to new reporting requirements with respect to the presence of hazardous substances. Hadden, an associate professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, conducted surveys relating to this act.

This US resource guide provides concerned citizens with a on approximately 1500 chemical hazardous materials, found in the home, workplace and community, including what they are; there effects on human health, the laws controlling their use, proper handling, and resources for more in-depth study, political action and networking.